Edgy! Not great, but worth seeing.

Rating: 6/10 (5 July 2003)

*Slight Spoilers*
I love zombie movies so there was no way to see 28 Days Later without a predisposition created by Romero's "Dead" series and various others. As I watched the movie I felt disappointed at times and satisfied at others.
Perhaps I shouldn't really call this a zombie movie. The creatures are humans, very much alive, but infected by a virus. There is none of the relentless, pressing sense of doom that Romero's shuffling, never-tiring zombies gave us. But, there are frenetic bursts of adrenaline. These creatures move *fast* when they attack.
The camera work with the creatures was good. Most sightings are in the periphery. Blurred shadows and fast-motion effect captures. Since the attacks tended to punctuate long periods of quiet movie, they were pretty jarring.
The movie was uneven at the end. I didn't like the military group turning out to be so evil. Not that military groups can't be evil, but I felt that the movie needed to focus on *one* enemy. Switching gears like that near the end diffused the focus.
I did, however, like the revelation (?) about exactly how widespread the contagion was. That simultaneously made me feel a deeper despair for the characters and a renewed hope for their chances.
The characters themselves are well portrayed. I like the man of quiet strength, the tough woman, the young girl having to grow up to quickly, etc. These are all stock characters but well done.
6.5 out of 10.